This invention relates generally to forage blowers of the type that receive chopped forage from a wagon or other vehicle or the like and convey it upwardly to the top of a silo.
An example of the type of blower to which the present invention pertains generally is shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,908 issued Apr. 3, 1973 to Burrough et al and which patent has been assigned to an assignee common with the present invention. Blowers of this character must be capable of delivering a steady stream of forage material upwardly a considerable distance to the top of the silo and must do so without any plugging of the conveying pipe.
When the blower or conveying pipe become plugged, it is a time-consuming and difficult task to clear the obstruction and often necessitates the disconnection of the blower from the upwardly extending conveying pipe. It also requires access to the inside of the blower housing and this is accomplished by having the blower outlet spout detachable from the blower housing. The stationary conveying pipe is rigidly mounted to the silo or otherwise so that it can not be shifted away from the blower to make the disconnection to permit the material in the upper pipe to fall free. A telescoping section of pipe is usually used to facilitate the disconnection. That is to say there is a telescoping section between the end of the fixed filler or conveying pipe on the silo and the outlet transition member of the blower. This section is telescoped into the fixed vertical conveying pipe to provide clearance over the blower transition member. Since the telescoping section can only be moved along the fixed centerline of the vertical pipe, the access to the blower outlet and the blower fan is restricted. Any material that is lodged in the conveying pipe then falls down into the blower during the unplugging process. Quite often the entire blower is moved forward or rearward, by a tractor for example, to provide access and allow the material lodged in the conveying pipe to fall free.
One form of prior art device for gaining access to the blower housing is shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,867,064 issued Feb. 18, 1975 to Sorenson et al. In that patent, the spout or discharge outlet of the blower is pivoted about a generally horizontal axis along the upper side of the blower housing and as a result considerable space is required between the blower discharge pipe and the upper conveying pipe in order to gain access to the blower housing. This is a difficult and time consuming task with the prior art device of this type.